Talent Tribe: Jessica, Cath Lab RN

Meet Jessica, a member of the Springboard Healthcare talent tribe ofsuccessful traveling cath lab clinicians.

Where are you originally from?

Lexington, TN

Tell us about your family…

I am a traveling clinician with my boyfriend of 12 years, who is also a traveling nurse. We have two shih tzu dogs, Samuel and Gracie.

What role do you play in the cath lab on your assignments?

I’m a cath lab/IR nurse. I am a registered nurse with an associate’s degree. I started nursing in 2009. Starting in 2013, I worked in a step down cardiac telemetry floor for about four years. I quickly grew tired of that and got some experience in the cath lab and then started traveling in 2015. Since I started traveling, I have also learned interventional radiology (IR) and worked in IR in addition to working in the cath lab.

Where are you currently located and where else have you had assignments?

I am currently working in Oregon. I have also lived and worked as a traveling clinician in Fayetteville, NC; Las Vegas, NV; Albuquerque, NM; Richland, WA; and Medford, OR.

What do you like about your work?

I like helping people. We get to be there for people when they are at their most scared, vulnerable state. It’s an honor to get to help people and hear their story. It’s instant gratification – someone comes in with a blockage and they leave without one.

What do you like about being a traveling cath lab RN?

Life is short and I want to see as much as I can while I can. You also get paid more, more time off and get to meet great people everywhere you go. The experience you gain from meeting so many different professionals is great – everyone you meet has with their own set of knowledge and I get to soak it all up. You can learn something new everywhere you go.

What experiences have you had as a result of being a traveling clinician?

Too many to count! The International Balloon Fiesta, hiking Mount Rainier, skiing all over the Pacific Northwest and in general just seeing so many beautiful places we otherwise would not have seen. My boyfriend and I love to hike, ski, try new foods and meet new people. Being a traveling clinician provides us with all these opportunities for new experiences.

What advice would you give to new traveling cath clinicians?

Make sure you have enough experience – at least one year of experience. You’ll be expected to hit the ground running with very little information on most assignments. I also wish I’d have known that even when you sign a short-term 6-month lease on an apartment, you still must give a one-month notice. Unfortunately, I learned that the hard way!

What are your travel hacks?

DocuSign for electronic document signing and Genius Scan which scans documents from your phone on the go are two of the best apps ever. My favorite travel item is my travel buddy, my boyfriend – life is so much more enjoyable when you have someone to share it with!

Tell us about your recruiting experience with Springboard Healthcare…

Sean is my recruiter and he’s the bomb! He’s always prompt with following up, upbeat and flexible I feel Sean’s really in my corner working hard with my best interests in mind. I would recommend Springboard to others interested in traveling cath lab/IR work – they provide great pay, great locations and work hard for us.

If I wasn’t a cath lab nurse…

I often daydream about being a baker, as I love to make pastries and cakes. Honestly though, I’m not sure who I’d be if I wasn’t a nurse. Being able to help people is such a rewarding experience.